'Direful' definitions:

Definition of 'direful'

From: WordNet
adjective
Causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible curse" [syn: awful, dire, direful, dread(a), dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible]

Definition of 'Direful'

From: GCIDE
  • Direful \Dire"ful\, a. [Dire + -ful.] Dire; dreadful; terrible; calamitous; woeful; as, a direful fiend; a direful day. -- {Dire"ful*ly}, adv. -- {Dire"ful*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]